The Cincinnati Bengals opened training camp last week, but there were two star players who seem to be refusing to actually participate in practice for the team.
As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk points out, Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and star defensive end Trey Hendrickson have both missed multiple practices, seemingly as a result of contract disputes with the team, though the team has not said much about their absence from practice.
“Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t practiced since camp opened, and although he and coach Zac Taylor won’t say why, Chase obviously wants to get paid a lot more money than the $1.055 million base salary he’s due this year. Bengals owner Mike Brown has indicated he doesn’t see a new contract for Chase coming any time soon. They’re at an impasse and Chase appears to be in no hurry to get on the field for a team that won’t pay him what he thinks a player of his caliber deserves,” Smith wrote for Pro Football Talk.
“And defensive end Trey Hendrickson has now missed three practices in a row after participating on the first day of training camp. Hendrickson requested a trade early in the offseason, but he later said he wants to play for the Bengals a long time. Hendrickson is due to make $15 million this season and $16 million next season, so he’s not as underpaid as Chase is, but he clearly thinks he deserves more. Given that he has 39.5 sacks in his three seasons with the Bengals, including a career-high 17.5 last year, it’s hard to disagree.”
It’s pretty clear that both players will be on the team’s roster this season, but it’s also pretty clear they aren’t happy with their current contracts.
